Abstract:

This dissertation presents research that investigated the experiences and
perceptions of Christian therapists who work with conservative Christian women who
experienced intimate partner violence (IPV). Despite the widespread occurrence of IPV,
therapists continue to face challenges in areas of training and supervision in working with
this type of trauma. In addition to the factors involved in working with IPV, unique and
complex cultural factors complicate the process of working with conservative Christian
women in IPV. Studies related to the interface of IPV, religion, and the impact on
therapists working with this population are limited. No literature was found concerning
Christian therapists' experiences and perceptions when working with this population.
To address this gap in the literature, this investigation incorporated a grounded theory
design to explore and describe the experiences of Christian therapists as they worked
with conservative Christian women in IPV. Five categories emerged from interviews
conducted with six female Christian therapists over a nine month period of time. These
categories were having a calling, therapist self, treating the women, encountering
systems, and therapist understanding. Participants suggested their work with
conservative Christian women in IPV was vocational as well as professional, based on
personal transformation and experiences with God. Their experiences and perceptions of
God resulted in the belief that IPV was incongruent with Christian spirituality. This
informed how they provided clinical treatment to their clients, as well as how they
encountered religious and secular communities regarding the issue of IPV. The process
of working with conservative Christian women in IPV was a multifaceted, complex, and
fluid process that included interaction of all the categories and properties as participants
functioned in the calling that was central to their work with IPV.